‘Travelling. It leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller’. Avid travellers swear by this saying as travel isn’t just a treat for your senses, but it also leaves you with memories and experiences that you will remember for the rest of your life.
Most of us dream of travelling the world, but time and financial constraints make it difficult to whisk away on a globetrotting trip at the drop of a hat. But, what if we told you that you could satisfy your wanderlust without straining your bank account. Yup, you heard us right!
Airline tickets constitute a huge chunk of travelling expenses, but it could be reduced drastically if you know how to use your Credit Card wisely.
So, without further delay, let’s jump into the world of frequent flier miles and Credit Card rewards and find out how one can travel at minimum cost:
Opt for Airline Credit Cards with great signup benefits:
If you are a person who likes to travel by air instead of boarding a train or hitting the road, then Airline Credit Cards can be your best friends. For people who fly frequently, Airline Credit Cards not only give away free air miles every time you use your card to make transactions, they also offer wonderful signup bonuses.
By opting for a new Airline Credit Card, you can enjoy rewards like free air miles, free flight tickets and much more. For example, the Air India SBI Signature Card gives away 20,000 air miles and a complimentary membership to the Air India Frequent Flyer Program as joining benefits.
Since the market for Airline Credit Cards is extremely competitive, every ban, as well as airline service provider, offers great signup benefits to attract customers. Make use of these joining offers by opting for one or more Airline Credit Cards. It’s all about finding the right card to suit your needs.
Additional Reading: Everything You Need To Know About Airline Credit Cards
Make the most of Credit Card reward points
The popularity of Credit Cards skyrocketed with the advent of cashback offers and reward points. Who doesn’t like gifts in the form of reward points for the purchases they made through their Credit Cards?
However, making the most of Credit Card reward points requires smart shopping tactics. The more you use your Credit Card, the more reward points you accumulate. But, remember to always keep your spending in check or you could find yourself buried under a mountain of debt.
In the case of Airline Credit Cards, these reward points are generally termed as air miles. The more you shop using your Credit Card, the more air miles/reward points you get. Once you have accumulated enough air miles or reward points, you can redeem them by booking flight tickets or hotel rooms. The Citi Premier Miles Card offers 10 air miles for every Rs. 100 spent on airlines and 4 air miles for every Rs. 100 spent on other purchases.
Additional Reading: Benefit From Credit Card Reward Points
Become a frequent flier member of different airline companies
Other than Airline Credit Cards, another way of earning air miles is by signing up to frequent flier memberships with one or more airlines. In most cases, airlines offer frequent flier memberships free of cost and the more you fly with each airline, the more air miles you get.
It is similar to a loyalty program since you get rewarded with air miles for choosing certain airlines frequently for air travel. A frequent flier membership with a particular airline makes you eligible to earn air miles or redeem them even when you travel with one of their partners.
Thus, by opting for a membership with two or more airline companies, you can cover the majority of airline services and can also enjoy air miles benefits each time you fly, irrespective of the airline service provider.
Shop from airline partners to get the best deals
While we have already discussed how buying flight tickets from an airline service provider will help you accumulate air miles, you can also make purchases from partners of these airlines such as food partners, beverage partners, apparel partners etc. to get the best deals.
Just by stating that you are a frequent flier member of a particular airline, you are eligible to get great travel benefits while shopping with any of the airline’s partners.
Keep an eye out for airline promotions
One of the best ways to fly on the cheap is by making the most of an airline’s promotional offers. In order to build a loyal customer base, airlines launch frequent flier promotional programs that offer air miles at extremely affordable rates.
Buying air miles is an expensive affair. That is why travel hackers keep an eye out for airline promotions to buy air miles at nominal rates. Keep your eyes open for such e-mails in your inbox or similar offers on the internet.
Additional Reading: Make Best Use Of Travel Deals And Airline Credit Cards
Now that you know all about using your Credit Card to bring down the cost of travelling, make an effort to follow these travel tips to enjoy flights and luxurious stays at hotels without loosening your purse strings too much.
Once you have built up a considerable amount of reward points/air miles, you should figure out when the best time to use them would be. And while you are at it, make sure you clear your Credit Card bill to avoid drowning in a sea of Credit Card debt.
Additional Reading: 12 Clever Ways Indians Save on Travel
Looking for an Airline Credit Card? Go ahead and explore your options!